Most counselors today practice from an eclectic approach, using the best of many types of therapeutic modalities. Each type of orientation involves different ideas about what causes the pain in our lives, and what will help us heal and move forward in happier and more productive ways. Some examples of the focus of different orientations would be:

Focus more on the past – Family of origin, earlier life difficulties, how the present is rooted in past experience.

Focus more on the present – Regardless of the past, what is happening in the here and now, what choices are being made, whether the results are satisfactory.

Focus on thoughts and behaviors – The ways we understand or interpret things that are happening in our lives, and what actions we take.

Focus on emotions – How we feel about the things that are happening in our lives.

Focus on the body itself – How the things happening in our lives show up as stress in physical armature and physical reactions.

I base my therapy orientation according to need and view my counseling style as a “tool box” which uses tools from lots of modalities. My philosophy is to assist people in freeing up their abilities to think, feel and talk while actively participating in their journey toward gaining inner freedom by engaging in a mutual, genuine and authentic dialogue. When it is a good fit for my clients, I like to incorporate other tools such as journaling, music, photographs, movie clips, art, poetry, and reading. I am committed to assisting individuals in increasing their sense of self mastery, confidence and self knowledge to the greatest extent possible.